23/02/2026
Religious trauma isn’t about attacking faith.
It’s about naming what happens when spirituality is used to control, shame, threaten, or silence.
Research on spiritual abuse and high-control religious environments shows clear links to anxiety, depression, complex trauma symptoms, and chronic shame. When belief systems are tied to fear of punishment or rejection, the nervous system doesn’t interpret that as “guidance.” It interprets it as threat.
Healing doesn’t mean you have to abandon your faith.
It means you get to reclaim agency over it.
And if someone opens up to you about religious trauma, remember:
Your job is not to defend the institution.
Your job is to honor their experience.
📌 Save this if it resonates.